RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND FLOWERING IN HELICONIA (Heliconia stricta)

Abstract

Leaf chlorosis followed by flowering was noticed in Heliconia plants supplied with organics alone during its early vegetative phase. This finding was recorded from the experiment on standardizing nutrient management practices for Heliconia in low fertile sandy soils with lesser water holding capacity. The main experiment was laid out at Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (Regional Station), Kerala State, India with five nutritional treatments and four replications in Randomised block design. During initial growth phase (four months after planting), plants grown under integrated management exhibited a healthy vegetative growth. Nevertheless, 90% of the plants supplied with organics alone exhibited leaf yellowing. It was observed that more than 60% plants with leaf chlorosis started to flower early (180 days after planting) but the flowers were of smaller size with 3 to 4 bracts. The results showed that the leaf nutrients such as K, Ca, Mg, Mn and Fe were lower in plants supplied with organics alone. The deficient leaves were found to have significantly lower leaf chlorophyll, relative water content and wax content. However, the deficiency symptoms of these plants disappeared one month after the second dose of manuring (i.e. seven months after planting). Plant height differed significantly only during the reproductive phase. Other growth parameters such as suckering habit, number of leaves and leaf area was recorded higher in plants supplied with adequate organic manures (T3) from eight months after planting. After recovery from the stress, plants started producing quality flowers with 6 to 7 bracts at 280 days after planting.